The Crucible And The Handmaids Tale Analysis - 1176 Words

In the books The Crucible by Arthur Miller and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood truth is large concept. Throughout the books truth is used to define the perception and the reality through key symbols that go above and beyond an object. In The Crucible The Bible plays an immense part in shaping characters characteristics, also in The Handmaid’s Tale it shapes one of the main motifs of the story. Throughout the two books, flowers are a meaningful symbol which is compared to a real relationship and death. In The Crucible the doll symbolizes innocence and child play which is similar to Abigail. Likewise, in The Handmaid’s Tale the red habit’s that the handmaid’s are forced to wear are symbolizing who they are and what they do. Symbols†¦show more content†¦In both books, religious truth allows readers to perceive what they read differently. Especially comparing it to The Bible. The Bible is a very large symbol that both books use to deline ate a deeper understanding of religious truth. In The Crucible lilacs symbolize the dying of John Proctor and Elizabeths relationship. During their awkward conversation, Proctor states how it is still winter in Salem and that Elizabeth should come to Massachusetts with him to see all the flowers. He describes how lilacs smell â€Å"Lilacs have a purple smell. Lilac is the smell of nightfall...† (Miller, 42). Proctor tries to indicate his feelings towards Elizabeth â€Å"In victorian times, giving a lilac meant that the giver was trying to remind the receiver of a first love.†(flowermeaning.com). Proctor feels guilty about his mistakes by speaking of lilacs he is trying to remind Elizabeth of the love they once had for each other, but both know that their love has died and their love only exists in the eyes of others. Likewise, in The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood made sure to make flowers a recurring symbol to emphasize the real meaning behind certain flowers. Offreds first thought when she sees the hanged man with a bloody mouth is the red tulips that bloom in Serena Joy’s gardenâ€Å"The red of the smile is the same as the red tulips in Serena Joy’s garden...† (Atwood, 38). Red tulips symbolize a perfect love due to theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Silent Spring - Rachel Carson30092 Words   |  121 Pagesplease visit: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-silentspring/ Copyright Information  ©2000-2007 BookRags, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The following sections of this BookRags Premium Study Guide is offprint from Gales For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare